


Tattooed Love

by petersgirl



Category: Banshee (TV)
Genre: Drama, Explicit Language, F/M, Romance, Sex, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-12
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2018-08-22 00:25:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8265958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/petersgirl/pseuds/petersgirl
Summary: Bunker came back to Banshee about the time she went to hide there. Both have tattoos, secrets and sins they can't just wash away. When you try to be a better person and make a life can the slate get wiped clean to start over? Bunker thought he was saving her. But is she really saving him? Even Carrie takes the girl under her wing to show her a new way.





	1. New Beginings

**A/N: This is written for my reader Jess. If there is interest shown on the story I will write a lot of it. If not, it will be only three or four chapters.**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

You couldn't ever really escape your past or run from it. It would all catch up with you someway or somehow. But, you didn't have to remain in a place where you completely lost yourself and only was a shell of person you once were either.

Time wasn't your friend when you needed to get out of a bad situation. Split second decisions had to be made often. Neither was being found by the one who was supposed to love and treasure you. Because when they did find you, they would make you pay in some cruel ways for leaving without a trace.

It was where I was today. Heading down the road praying to land in a place where no one knew my name or cared what it was either. You never consider how big the world was until you had to choose where you wanted to go. Chose to be on the run for your life.

When I came to a crossroad of which way to go. I flipped a coin. "Looks like I am going to Banshee."

All you could see for the longest time was grass and crops. With the occasional horse drawn buggy you passed. Hell, I was already wondering if I went to the right town to start over fresh in or not. I started this journey on a huge leap of faith. I had to trust fate on this decision too.

When I finally found a hotel, it was the place I called home for the night. It was getting late and I hadn't eaten all day. I took a quick shower before I put on a tank top and pair of shorts. I only grabbed my room keycard, some cash and my smokes.

It was really warm outside. I decided to walk around and explore what the town had to offer. While I searched for a place to get something to eat. I enjoyed the certain quaint charm to the area.

I wouldn't call it country living in town but it was close to it. This was the kind of place where it was safe to leave your doors unlocked at night. Or so I thought at first.

It changed my mind quickly when I came up on two guys beating the hell out of another one. It was two on one and definitely wasn't a fair fight. Since I didn't bring my purse and had nothing to defend myself with to intervene. I was going to get the poor guy some help.

But that was brought to an abrupt halt because when I turned around to run for help. They had other friends too. "Look at what we have here."

"I don't want any trouble."

"Oh baby, I do. I love blondes with nice tits."

He might have thought with my small size I wouldn't fight back. But he was fucking wrong. Which, I did well until he got me up against the building and pulled out a gun. When he got close enough to me. I bit him on the arm and wouldn't let go until he dropped the gun from his hand. With the left fist I got from him, it made me let go fast.

Then I had all three of them and I didn't stand much of chance. I bit, screamed, scratched and kicked. When I saw the knife, I thought he was going to stab me. Instead he split my tank top all the way up and cut the straps at the top of my shoulders too.

"Let her go."

"Stay out of this. Doesn't got shit to do with you."

At least someone appeared in the nick of time. He fought two of the assholes extremely well on his own. One was already down on the ground and the other one was getting his ass kicked. The way he moved, this wasn't anything new to him either.

But the one holding me by the throat made the mistake of letting go and not paying any attention to me. An empty beer bottle was all I could find. It got broken over the back of his head. Then he got a kick in the ribs from me too. "Asshole."

"Are you alright?"

Just as I went to answer him. I saw his tattoos as he pulled off his shirt. He was one of them too. "Oh shit." I scrambled around looking for where the gun was dropped when we scuffled earlier. Then I pointed it at him. "Back off."

"I'm not going to hurt you. I am a Banshee Deputy Sheriff."

"Bullshit. I see your ink."

He laid his shirt on the ground and took a few steps back from me. "This is so you can cover up with it. You really need to get out of here before they come to."

It wasn't until he said it. I realized I was in nothing but my bra and shorts. Those assholes cut my tank top off me. I wasn't sure why he stopped them being in the same brotherhood but I was grateful he did. I feared him just as much as I was grateful though. I grabbed the shirt and took off. I threw their gun in a dumpster as I ran back to my hotel room.

When I felt in the back pocket of my jean shorts, the room keycard was still there. I was glad I hadn't dropped it or they found it to know where I was at. I went to the ice machine and put a few scoops in the bucket.

"This is my first day here." I looked in the bathroom mirror to see a red welt forming on my face where the asshole hit me.

What I needed was an ice pack and a goodnight sleep. I laid down with a washcloth full of ice on my face. I threw it in the sink before I finally could manage to go out for the night.

The sleep I got must have been sound because I didn't wake up until eleven. I took a quick shower and got dressed. My stomach was growling because I never did get to eat anything last night.

There was a diner down the street. I almost started to walk there but thought better of it. I drove just in case something else would happen if I did.

It wasn't full inside yet but the lunch crowd had started to filter in. I found a booth and the waitress didn't take long to come over. "I haven't seen you around here before."

"I just got here yesterday."

"Welcome to Banshee. My name is Carrie. What can I get for you?"

"A cheeseburger and fries. Thanks."

She seriously had a lot of tables to wait on but kept up with them all. I even got a refill that I didn't have to ask for when she came back with my food. "What's your name?"

"Lacy."

"If you need anything, Lacy. Just let me know."

It was necessary to take a second look when two officers walked in the diner. They took a booth together and I couldn't believe it. He had on a pressed uniform which covered up most of his tattoos. But the ones that reached and were etched on his heart and soul. You couldn't ever cover those up. They told your story without you saying a word. It was always your telltale sign and dead giveaway of who you really were.

"Well, I'll be damned. He really is a cop." It almost made me laugh at the irony of it all.

Only he wasn't embraced from the people in this town it seemed. Those around me all had something to say about him and none of it was good. Most were gossiping about his past. While others were discussing how he didn't belong here. No acceptance or tolerance for his kind. If they only knew the truth about me. They would've had worse things than that to say.

Since my tank top showed off some of my tattoos. I decided it best to cover them up before anyone really noticed. I rummaged through my bag until I found a zip up sweatshirt and put it on. There was no point to bring unwanted attention to myself.

"Did you want anything else sweetie?"

"Just the bill, thanks."

When I paid my bill, I gave the waitress extra money. "I want to buy the officers their lunch too. I included extra in your tip for doing it for me."

"Thanks. I'll see you around, Lacy." She was very nice to me. Almost welcoming with open arms. You didn't find that much anymore in this world. The best part was, she didn't pass judgement on me in anyway.

Then I came to realization of what I had done to him. Passed judgement without knowing the facts. I needed to right that wrong. Start over and let what I had been taught in the past go. It took me a while to get the courage up but it had to be done. I stopped by their booth. They were in a conversation and I didn't want to interrupt them. When they finished I would say what I needed to then move on.

"I wanted to say thank you for what you did last night. I'm sorry I didn't believe you. Thank you, officer."

"I was just doing my job Ma'am." His whole demeanor had changed from the angry, mean and tough guy. To gentler and a polite person.

"Deputy Brock Lotus and you are?"

"Lacy."

"Well, gentlemen this is your lucky day. This young lady bought your lunch." Carrie's timing was off. She was supposed to have waited until I was gone or it was what I hoped would happen.

"It's not necessary Ma'am. But thank you." I only smiled back at his comment. I didn't want to get too friendly with the local cops. So, I made my way out the door without any farther exchange with them.

"Oh shit. What is up with the goddamn Nazis in this town?" There were three Aryan Nations waiting outside the diner. I took in a deep breath because I had to walk past them to get to my car.

It made me immediately think of the one I left behind. They would have been targeted simple by the ink they wore. He wouldn't fear them at all. If they crossed him, there was a price to be paid. Enemies by circumstances and he would have delivered outlaw justice on their asses quickly too.

But this was a new place and I had to change my way of thinking about things. Or I would be stuck in my past forever and never allowed to advance forward in life. Always living in his shadow of fear and evil.

So, I sucked it up and went walking directly to my car. If I let them bully me with intimidation. In reality, I was still letting him as well. Admitting he was still calling the shots in my life and he wasn't even around anymore.

However, it wasn't me they were here for and it wasn't about last night. It was the cop they wanted and they weren't shy about calling him out either.

"So, are you gonna stand there all day like a pussy? Or are you gonna come over here and play?"

Before it became a major problem, Deputy Brock tried to defuse the situation. "Clear out now. Let's go."

When the guy shoved officer tattoo, it was not going to end well. "We'll be seeing you punk."

Hell, I was right and could see his body shaking badly. The switch got flipped and he became the man I witnessed kick their asses in the alleyway once again. He slammed the guy's body on the hood of a car. "You'll be seeing me. Because I'll be coming for you. We all know you're nothing but a pussy without your backup."

Deputy Brock had to break it up again. It didn't take me long to get in my car and get gone from here. Before I ended up in the middle of something else I didn't want too.

**BANSHEE~~BANSHEE~~BANSHEE~~BANSHEE~~BANSHEE~~BANSHEE~~BANSHEE~~BANSHEE~~BANSHEE~~BANSHEE**

Carrie was kind of enough to get me a job at the diner. I'd gotten used to going in daily and talking to her. I even found a small house to rent too. The hotel was crappy and expensive. But it worked for the first week I was here.

The only belongings I had were packed in the car. I went to a couple of places around town to find at least the bare necessities for the house. While I was shopping I ran into the other person I seen almost daily as well.

It was to the point I wasn't sure if he was stalking me or not. He always appeared out of nowhere and vanished just as quickly. Never saying a word to me. Not even as much as a friendly wave. There could be the possibility with a small town it was all a coincidence. Hell, I blew it off and went back to shopping.

The first thing I wanted to do was paint the kitchen and living room. The landlord gave me their approval. They hadn't had a chance to after the old tenants moved out. I didn't mind because they would take the cost of the paint off the next month's rent.

It would give me something productive to do. There were many reasons actually. I hadn't been somewhere permanent in over six months. I'd stayed on the move. But mostly, I wanted this to be my home and feel like I was living a real life again. A part of something.

Then I went on to buy a couch, coffee table with matching end tables, bed and television. Those were the major purchases of the day. The rest of the things were all trivial. I was thankful the house came with a stove and a frig so I didn't have to worry about that.

After I paid for the items. I had them scheduled for delivery later on in the week. It would give me time to clean the house and do the painting.

My shift started in a couple of hours and it brought my shopping spree to an end. I went back to the hotel and took a shower. I did a quick blow dry on my hair and moussed it for the scrunched look. Carrie left her long hair down while she worked and so did I. When I finished putting on my makeup. I grabbed a clip for my hair just in case I needed it.

She said to wear something for walking around in. So, I chose my white leather Nikes along with jeans and a red short sleeved blouse. I took a long hard look in the mirror and most of my tattoos were covered. The one at the top of my breast would show unless I wore something up to my neck.

Thinking about it took me back to a better time in my life. It was simpler then. We were just two people who loved each other. No outside influences weighing in on it. I got mine on my breast the same time he got my name tattooed on his chest. I'd given anything to go back to when he loved me that way.

"Don't you, breakdown. You made your choices." It was terrible when you had to reprimand yourself on a regular basis. But, I didn't have time for this today either. I had to get to the diner.

"Thank you, Carrie for getting me this job."

"Don't thank me just yet. It's shitty pay and your feet will hurt like hell by the end of the day."

The truth was shitty pay was better than no pay at all. I had been on the move for so long. What money I had was almost gone. If I didn't start earning some soon. I would be completely broke.

But Carrie was right though. By the time my shift ended I was tired as hell. I earned enough in tips to fill up my gas tank, buy a couple packs of smoke and had some left over. As tired as I was I still wanted to work on the house tonight. At least get a start on it.

Cleaning the kitchen cabinets, counter tops, stove and frig took me most of the night. Once I felt it was suffice I carried in some of the items I bought today from the car. Then headed back to the hotel to get some sleep.

It was pretty much the same routine for the next couple of days; work, clean or paint and sleep. Except today I should have chosen not to go to work.

When I saw them come in and set in my area, I cursed under my breath. "What can I get for you?" I still did my job with a smile on my face.

"I'll have you to go."

"I meant from the menu." When he grabbed my shirt, then lifted it up to show the tattoo on the small of my back as I went to walk away. I slapped his hand and I was pissed. "Don't touch me again."

Only he didn't listen and reached for my tit. The more he got away with, the braver he seemed to get. The only thing I could reach was a fork. I stabbed it in his arm as hard as I could. "The next time you touch me. It won't be a fork in your arm. It will be a knife in your dick."

His friend setting with him wanted to get in the action as well. I threw the cup of hot coffee in his face and turned to run. Just to bump into the officer who witnessed what I did.

Needless to say, I got fired from the diner for my actions. It was the same assholes from the other day. But the boss didn't care. They had a business to run.

Sheriff Hood wanted me to come to the police station to give a statement. He kept insisting I needed to press charges. Only that shit would not happen. "I don't want to press charges against them."

"You need to realize. What you did was only enough to piss them off. They won't stop with just that now and will keep retaliating against you. It's not the first time they've been a problem."

"I appreciate your concern Sheriff. Have a nice day."

Maybe, I picked the wrong place to land at. For it being two weeks, it had already been very eventful. The only sane person I had met so far was Carrie. She even took me to meet a friend of hers who owned a bar. The hope was I would find a job with him.

"I might be looking for some part time help. Do you got any identification on you?" I did as he asked and handed it over. I had used it a few times and no one seemed to notice the difference. "Lacy Jones." Once Sugar passed it to the strange bald guy sitting at the bar I started to get nervous. As I casually put my hand on hip. I was ready for whatever came next.

"This is some good work. Their shit is not as good as mine. But still a quality fake identification. Someone is a naughty girl, Lacy. If that's really your name."

From the back of my jeans I pulled my gun on them. "Did he send you to come get me? I'm not going back. You'll have to kill me first."

Carrie got up from the barstool. I thought she was too damn nice. I let her sweet side surprise me as she led me straight into the loins den. "Relax. No one sent us. Who are you running from sweetie? What did he do to you?" She got nothing but silence from me on all of her questions. "I understand more than you think. I watched you with those guys the other day in the diner. You can defend yourself."

"It's survival." It only came out of me at above a whisper. There was a battle coming for me and I could only hope to be left alive after the fight he would put up.

"Those are the best skills to have. Do you know who I really am?"

"No."

"Carrie Hopewell. Really Anastasia my father is Mr. Rabbit, mob boss. It's all over the news and not a big secret in this town. I hid out for fifteen years away the truth. I like you were ready on the draw. You watched to see who was behind you the whole time. The stance you take. It all sums up to experience. So, why don't you put down the gun and if you're tough enough to fight with me. You can walk out of here and no more questioned will be asked. I will never bring it up again."

"If I'm not?"

"Then we sit down and have a talk."

This bitch was one badass. I could fight but nothing like her. Or keep up with how fast she was either. She had me on the pool table chocking the shit out of me. My fingers kept stretching out to reach for a cue ball. Once I had it in my grip. A hand caught my arm. "That's enough." It was the very strange bald guy.

When Carrie let go I wasn't sure where in the fuck this would go too next. She extended a hand to help me up. Even though I took it, I still proceeded with caution. "You did great. Want a drink?" This chick had some serious issues. She went right back to the sweet lady I met when I first arrived in town.

"You're safe here Lacy. I will help you as much as I can." Carries seemed truly sincere with her words. But it still scared the hell out of me to trust someone.

"Why would you help me?"

"Because you remind me of myself." Carrie went on to explain what she wanted me to do. It wasn't anything illegal, okay it was if you got caught at it. Nor was it something she couldn't obviously do herself. Although, the cash she was willing to pay for it, sounded great.

"That's all you want me to do?"

"Yes. Some cash up front and the rest when you're done. You're new here. No one will associate you with it."

"I'll think about it. Aren't you afraid I might nark you out?"

"Who are you going to tell, Lacy? You're on the lam and don't want any attention drawn to yourself. I've been there and done that shit." Carrie played this out very well. It was about the same kinda thing I would have said.

"So, is this why the cop has been following me around town?"

"What cop?"

"Big and tattooed all over."

"That's Bunker. But I didn't know he was following you around."

Carrie's answer left me even more puzzled now. What I had I walked into the other night? Was it Bunker's war or theirs that had been ignited? Who were truly the good guys and who were the bad ones? There was so much going on behind the scenes in this little town you couldn't keep up with it all.

"This is really a fucked up town."

"Yeah, it is. Let me show you around." Carrie, Anna or whatever her real name was. Took me for a tour of it.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed reading me!**

 


	2. New Friends

**Chapter 2**

The day had begun with the sunshine beams in the window. Beaming through so brightly as the perfect summer day. Birds were perched in a nearby tree chirping away a happy song and all should have been right with the world for me today. But, it wasn't. I had him on my mind.

From the closet, I took down the box. Set down on the bed and took a trip down memory lane. From his birth to his first birthday. Clutched his funeral announcement in my hand while I wept. "I miss you so much."

The knock on the front door paused my breakdown in progress. "Lacy, are you home?" Carrie's voice carried through the window I had open in the living room.

"Just a minute." My voiced echoed in the house as I gathered everything back up to put it away. I took in a few deep breaths and wiped my eyes before I answered the door.

"Is everything okay?" Her question wasn't surprising. Yet I wasn't going to give her any unnecessary information either.

"So, what brings you to this side of town?" It was best when you didn't know how to approach something or what really to say. Change the subject and that was what I done.

"Tonight, I need you to plant it for me. Are you in?"

"I'm in. I'll be there." This was the extra work Carrie wanted me to do. I was in but I still was uncertain where this all would lead to. Or knowing for certain what I was really getting myself in to from doing it.

"Good. Be there at eight o'clock." She handed me a piece of paper with the address on it. "I'll see you later."

"Later."

It was a very quick conversation between us. I guess there was no need to stand around and exchange a bunch of useless pleasantries between us. So, why even pretend. There were already enough things in my life I liked to pretend never happened in the first place.

Since I was wide awake, I went to take a shower and get ready to start my day. After I finished getting dressed I decided this was a great day for a short walk. There were so many houses around I figured I'd be safe if I stuck to the streets.

Before I made it to the end of mine, I saw him. In an old truck. He was already dressed in his uniform probably on his way to work. As he drove I held his stare until he passed by me. "He has got to be a stalker."

There were other things for me to worry about rather than him. But, for now I would enjoy my walk. I really liked this neighborhood. From an outsider's point of view, it had a wholesome feel to it. A place to start a family and settle down. However, things can be deceiving at times.

Especially with what I came up upon a couple of streets over. The officer was having an argument on the sidewalk with a guy. I crossed the street to avoid it all.

"I am the one who defended you after you left. I am the only one that stands between you and the brotherhood. It's time to make it right and come home to us Kurt." He was screaming at the officer. It wasn't hard to over hear what he was saying so loudly.

"I don't want to hurt you. So, don't get in my way." Kurt wasn't as loud but, you could tell he meant every word he said to the guy.

It was starting to fall in place for me. Kurt was an outcast on both sides of the fence. No longer accepted by the brotherhood or the ones on the outside of it. It was probably also why he stood up to them and saved me.

Once you were in, there was no way out except death or prison. It was the rules of the Nazis and the outlaws. I knew all too well from experience. You couldn't just scrape your ink off and live a brand new cozy life. Because you were branded with those scars for eternity.

Which brought on a whole new set of questions about Officer Bunker. Why would he come back to the lion's den? He had to know it was self destruction and put his life in danger. Even more so, why would they let him live now? He knew their secrets and was a danger to the society they created. It's the reason once you were in, you were in for life. Or however long they decided you should live. If you cross them in any way, death was the inevitable.

When I glanced down at my hand, I could still see the faint white circle around my finger. It was their circle of trust I was brought in to by marriage. It was the same circle of deceit and chaos I lived in for years. The circle would eventually close in like a noose around my neck until they chocked the life out of me. One way or the other.

This day started out so promising. Just to turn to the same thing I experienced every day. Reliving the sorrow, despair and grief in the life I created for myself. Then came the self loathing. You knew it was wrong when you done bad things, but you did them anyway. To protect the ones, you loved. They became your family and took the place of the old life you left behind.

The bells were sounding, chiming in a unison form. It brought me out of my deep thoughts. I followed the sound of the beautiful melody they were playing. Children were walking down the sidewalk together. Laughing without a care in the world on their way to school. From the park bench in front of the church, I just watched them. Until they all disappeared from my sight.

When I lit up a smoke I heard their voice. "May I bum one of those?" I wasn't expecting a priest to be there when I turned around. Let alone want one. "I am father Kevin."

"Lacy. Sure, you can have one. Is this your parish?"

He sat down beside me. Leaned over and I lit it for him. "Yes, it is. Thank you. I haven't had one of these for years. I still get the urge every now and again."

"It is a hard habit to break." The reality was, there were so many bad things we called a habit or normal. Just to cover up the truth of what we did. Since he was a man of God, I had to ask. "Do you think God forgives us for our sins? I mean really bad things we do."

"Of course, he does. We are the ones who have a hard time to forgive and move past it. It's why I started the church. To earn forgiveness in my own heart, give back. Forgiveness doesn't not excuse our behavior but it does keep us from destroying our hearts. Now, I can't image my life without God in it or to help the people who want to find him. Well, I should go. Have a nice day, Lacy."

"You too, father."

The walk back home was a longer one. I ponder what I took the father to have said. The weak could never forgive. Forgiveness was an attribute of the strong. There was no love without forgiveness in your heart and there was no forgiveness without love existing.

"Do you need some help?" An elderly woman had dropped a bag of groceries from her car. Stuff was everywhere. She acted as though bending down to pick it up was a chore for her. I gathered up everything and offered to carry it inside.

After I placed the items on the table. I went back out to get the other bags she had. "Thank you, dear."

It was sweltering inside her house. I used the back of my hand to wipe my forehead as we stood talking. "Is your air conditioner broken?"

"I don't have one."

She lived alone and was on a fixed income. It wasn't a hard decision of what I should do, the right thing to do. "Bye." The door closed behind me and this woman needed some help. In a small way, I felt a calming effect from being around her. Now, I would give back too.

As soon as I arrived home, I grabbed some money and my keys. I drove around until I found a place to get it. "Do you install them?"

"For a fee."

"I want it delivered and installed." Soon the lady would have cool air in her home. She didn't need to know where it came from. I made that clear to them. If she asked to tell her father Kevin was watching out for her today. I couldn't ever make up for the terrible things in life I've done but I could make a simple act of kindness for someone else.

For the rest of the day I sanded the deck in the back of the house. I wanted a sitting area for evening time. It would take me a few days working on it to complete my project.

Once I quit, it was almost time to meet Carry. I got ready and waited down the road for her as I was instructed to do. She drove us to the club.

"You have to get inside Proctor's office. Make sure the bug is on the bottom of the disc drive of his computer. You've got twenty minutes to do it. A diversion will take place. If you can't get it planted by then, get out. If anything goes wrong, you don't know me."

"Understood." It was also understood if I got caught, I was on my own. I checked my cellphone twice before I walked through the club's door. Slipped it in my skirt pocket and went in to do what I came here for.

It was relatively quiet for a strip club. The stage was empty and no dancers or customers around. The only person I saw was the bartender. So, I interacted with him.

"I am here to see Mr. Proctor. I want to apply for the bartender job." This was the cover Carrie told me to use. An easy way to get myself close to him. Then I had to wing the rest of it on my own.

"Mr. Proctor is not in. You will have to come back."

"I'm here. I will interview her." A woman's voice broke up our conversation. She was young with long lush reddish blonde hair. Dressed nicely supporting some expensive jewelry. "I'm Rebecca."

"Lacy."

When I stuck my hand out to shake hers, she simply ignored it. With her hands clamped behind her. She strolled around me slowly and seemed to be assessing me. "I think you would be better suited on the floor with the other girls instead of bartending."

"Maybe I should wait for Mr. Proctor."

My comment only pissed her off. She made sure I knew it was now or never. Being his niece, she would make certain I never got a chance to speak with her uncle on another job. "Follow me."

Normally it wouldn't have worried me so much when someone wanted me to follow them. But this chick wasn't stable and you could tell. She took me down a winding dark hallway. I watched her every movement until she stopped in front of a door. She punched in a code on the entry pad, put her finger on it, then opened the door. Since it was his office I needed to be in, I went along with this charade.

"Strip."

"Excuse me."

"Take your clothes off. I need to see your merchandise." Rebeca causally set down on the couch. She crossed her long legs along with a flip of her hair over her shoulder. While she seemed to enjoy the thought of watching another woman take her clothes off for her.

After I unzipped my red skirt from the side of it, I let it fall to the floor. I was quick to use my black high heel to kick it off to the side. The bug was in my pocket. I sure as hell didn't need it to fall out and be seen. My black silk blouse matched the zipper on my skirt and went up the side of it, I undone that as well. Slipped it over my head. This was as far as I was willing to go. When I checked the clock on the wall, I was down to five minutes and counting down until I had to exit. "Well, do I get the job?"

The way her hungry eyes stared into mine. Maybe I was wrong and she wasn't unstable. She was just looking for a girl for the night who would please her. Slowly she rose from the couch. I took a step back when her hand touched my midsection. "Relax." It came out above a whisper from her.

When the door abruptly opened I wasn't sure if I should be grateful or not. He was angry we were in here. He spoke in a language I couldn't understand. She responded to him in the same one. After a few more exchanges between them Rebeca dropped her head. "Yes Uncle." She quickly exited the room.

"My apologies. You will have to forgive Rebeca. She sometimes gets rambunctious." He picked up my blouse from the floor to hand me. I picked up my skirt before he could. "I am Kia Proctor." Once I took my blouse from him he stuck out his hand to me.

"Lacy."

"I don't agree with Rebeca."

"You don't agree with her on what?"

"There is no way a woman as beautiful and classy as you are, belongs on a dance pole. To make up for what happened tonight with my niece, would you accept my invitation for drinks and perhaps dinner?"

Before I could answer him. Someone else barraged through the door. A guy in a suit and glasses whispered in Proctor's ear. Whatever the guy said set him in a rant.

"What do I pay those bastards for? The police cannot touch me. I have a situation in the front. If you will excuse me Lacy, I will return shortly."

"Of course. I will get dressed and wait for you."

That might have been what I said but, it wasn't what I meant. I took my cell out of my pocket along with the bug. Not only was time up, I was over the twenty minute mark. This would be the only shot I had at it. Someone was already beating on the door when I pushed the power button on the computer. When I saw the blue light finally come on I pushed the disc drive open and attached it as instructed by Carrie. Turned it off at the switch so no one knew it was turned on while he was gone.

They were demanding I open the door loudly. Only I was very surprised to see who was on the other side of it. The large tattooed officer stood over me when I answered it. This was an official raid of the club. He was just as surprised to see me standing here in my bra and panties.

Roughly he grabbed me by my arm and was dragging me along beside him. Other girls were running by us for cover in the hallway. They didn't want to get busted either. He didn't say a word when he opened the back door to the club. "Go." When I went to open my mouth, he interrupted me. "Go before I arrest you for prostitution."

Well, when he put it that way. I went out the back door and I didn't look back. There were moments in your life if you took time to look back, you never advanced to a better future. I was all about building a better future for myself.

The only thing I stopped to do was get dressed. But now, where would I go? I couldn't go out to the front of the club with the cops there. It was total chaos of a crowd of people trying to get away from them before they got arrested. Now I understood why there wasn't dancers on the floor when I came in. They were busy in the back fucking the customers. It was just a cover for a brothel.

My options were to walk in the dark through the fields in high heels or wait it out until everyone was gone to make it back to my car. Then my third option came when my cellphone rang. "You didn't get out on time. Did you plant it?" Carrie stated the obvious, I didn't get out on time.

"Yes, I did."

The head lights flashed at me to indicate where she was parked. She stayed close by and I'd like to think it was for my benefit but, probably not.

"Let's go get a drink."

Again, I wanted to believe Carrie was doing this for me because I had a hard night. But when we were greeted by Job at the door of the bar. "Well?"

"It's done." Carrie said it passing on her way to a bar stool. I joined her and ordered a double.

"I got in already." Job's fingers were flying across the computer keyboard.

Sugar put a white envelope on the bar in front of me. There was a thousand dollars in hundreds inside of it.

"You did good tonight, Lacy. It's time for phase two now. Are you still in?" Carrie raised her shot glass up in the air. It was meet with mine before we down the shot.

"I'm all in."

**BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE**

The bar offered a small amount of money a day for me. I worked four nights a week for Sugar. Friday and Saturday nights were the busiest time. It was regulars who visited on a constant basis. You also found a few stranglers who wandered through.

Tonight, we had a guest we were excepting. Proctor and his niece set down at a table in the back. When I headed over to take their order Sugar took the lead. "I've got it."

"Kai, Rebeca. What can I get for you?"

"I'll have a whisky sour and she will have an ice tea."

It didn't take me long to notice Carrie had disappeared. I went back to the kitchen to cook a burger and fries order. "Why are you back here?"

"You need to get close to Proctor."

"How close is close?"

"Close enough." It was the only explanation Carrie would give me. It really wasn't a big help.

Since Sugar waited on them already. I had to come up with an excuse to visit their table. After I delivered the food and gave them a refill. I wandered over in that direction.

"Mr. Proctor, how are you? I'm sorry about the other night when the cops came, I left."

"Please, call me Kai. My evening got better, I get to see you. Are you working here?"

"I am. Sugar is good to me and I make some money." I put the tray down on the table. Inched closer to him, stared in his eyes and was tried to be flirty. "Is the invitation for dinner still good?"

"Of course. If you will give me your phone number, I will call you."

"Great." I wrote my number on the back of an order form and handed it to him. What happened next took me off guard.

Rebeca squeezed her way in between us. "I have a terrible headache. I would like to go home and lay down."

"I will call you." The words no more than came out of Kai's mouth before she linked her arm in his. She was hanging all over him. It made me wonder if they were really related or not.

Although Rebeca wasn't the only one who didn't seem to approve of it. Sheriff Hood and his two deputies were setting at the end of the bar taking it all in.

"What can I get for you gentlemen?"

"I'll have a beer." The sheriff placed his order.

"The same." Deputy Brock spoke up.

That only left one. "And for you, Officer Bunker?"

"Nothing." Bunker looked at me with disgust and walked out the door.

"What's wrong with him?"

"Bunker is not very sociable." Hood gave a brief explanation.

"I've gathered as much."

The night went by quickly, closing time came and I only had a few things left to do. It didn't take long to clean up. I stocked the bar while Sugar counted the money in the register. He tossed a couple of twenties on the bar for me. As I split the tips for the night he wouldn't take his share of them.

"You earned it, take it. You really brighten the place up."

"Sugar, you are a charmer."

"I'll walk you out." Sugar lived here but still made it his routine to get me to the car safely. "I wonder what he wants?"

"I don't know. But, I'll be fine." Bunker was leaned up against his truck waiting for me in the parking lot.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow, Sugar."

It was silence between us. Bunker finally did uncross his arms before he began with what he wanted. "You need to stay away from Proctor. He is bad fucking news. There are other things you can do to earn money rather than sell your body." He took something out of his pocket shoved it in my hand and closed my fist around it. "It will help you get on your feet and I don't care if you pay it back or not. You don't need Proctor."

There was no way I could tell him the truth about what I was doing and why I was at the club. It was a kind gesture of him to give me three hundred dollars he thought I needed. "I don't ..." Before I could get the entire sentence out he slammed his door shut to the truck, started it up and drove off. "I don't need the money but thanks anyway." I was pretty much talking to myself at this point.

The father could be on to something. One random act of kindness was returned to you later down the road by someone else. It was sweet Bunker wanted to give me money to help. But I couldn't take advantage of him and keep it either.

It was the same thing on my mind when I woke up the next morning. I needed to return his money. After I got dressed I left for the diner. Carrie was working the morning shift like usual.

"Do you want it to go?"

"Make it two coffees to go and two cinnamon rolls."

"Two?"

"I'm super hungry this morning." Then it occurred to me if I was ever going to heal from the past. I had to trust someone at some point in my life. So, I told Carrie the truth about Bunker catching me at the club and letting me go. How he gave me money and I was on my way to return it to him.

Carrie only gave me a smile. It had been a few days since she brought up any more work to me. She went back to being the sweet little waitress with no apparent burdens or secrets. However, this lady was hauling around some heavy baggage. The signs were obvious to me because I had the same problem as her.

"Tonight, is the Banshee Festival, you should come with me. I made pies for it to sell."

This chick was a clear case of Zena the warrior princess and Martha Stewart mix. You never knew which one would come out to play that day. She had control over it from what I could see and knew about her. But, I'd hate like hell to get on her bad side.

"Okay, I'll be there."

She leaned on the counter as I was on my way out the door. "Tell Bunker I said hello." I only rolled my eyes at her. This wasn't a social call I was making.

It was sort of the consensus when I asked the lady at the front desk to speak with Officer Bunker. She started asking all kinds of questions. But I cut her off. "Is he here?"

"What are you doing here?" He answered my question because he was standing behind me.

"Do you have a minute?"

We went to the back of the station. It made me nervous being in here. Let alone so close to the jail cells. "I can't keep your money." I handed it to him, then the coffee and pastry too.

"Bunker we got a call we need to respond to." Deputy Brock announced it and waited. Bunker only stared at me in confusion and didn't act like he even heard what the deputy said. "Bunker." I knew he heard the deputy this time.

"Yeah, I'm coming."

"Now." Hood was involved and they had to go. "What the hell; I'm the sheriff and nobody brought me coffee and doughnuts." He gave Bunker a little ribbing on the way out.

By the time I made it outside, all the squad cars were gone. Maybe it was for the best. I didn't need to give an explanation, of why I didn't keep the money or answer any of his questions.

Since I had time on my hands I volunteered to help Carrie. The booth needed to be setup for her sale tonight. Various parts of town were already blocked off from traffic. Vendors were working hard on theirs already.

Once I found her booth number I started unloading the car. She wanted the American; red, white and blue theme to it. Even her pies were the same; apple, cherry and blueberry.

From the amount of people who were getting ready for it, it must be a big event here. I saw a friendly face pass by to his booth. Sugar was selling something too.

"Did Carrie con you into helping?"

"Sort of. What do you have to sell?"

"Homemade lemon aid, apple cider and root beer. The recipes for it have been in my family for generations. My great- great grandmother serviced it to royalty once." I liked to listen to him talk. He always had a fascinating story to tell about everything. I still wasn't sure if they were all true or not, but they were great stories.

"Do you want to sample it?" Sugar didn't have to ask me twice. I was all for a cool drink on this hot day. He filled up plastic cup with ice and held it at the spout of a large barrel.

The foam was so thick on the root beer. "This is awesome." I drank it down like a drunk does their alcohol. "I better get back to work. I'll see you later, Sugar."

It didn't take too long to dress up the booth the way she wanted it. One more trip to the car and I would have everything ready for when she got off work. I pushed the button to pop open the trunk. The fancy glass cake plates were the finishing touch to display them.

When I turned around she was up in my face. "Stay away from my uncle. Or I will make you wish you had." Rebeca gave me a warning. Only, I had another agenda that had to be carried out with Mr. Proctor.

"Is that a message from him? Or a direct order from you?"

"Stay away from him. I won't tell you again."

There was something so fucked up about this town and the people in it. She was a crazy bitch. I went on about my business. I had things to do.

It wasn't long until Carrie arrived. "It's looks great. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I am going home to work on my deck, then get cleaned up. I will be back tonight."

By the time I made it back. Everything looked so different. The kids were roaming around having a good time. Balloons were flying around everywhere. Families walking together to enjoy the festivities.

Colorful lights lit up the night sky. With the carnival rides, the stage in front of the dance floor and strands were freely placed around in various places.

The aromas floating through the air assaulted my nose. You could almost taste the barbecue, cotton candy and funnel cake. Or it made you want to really taste it. I brought another root beer from Sugar and figured I would get some food on the way out tonight.

"How is the pie business going?" Carrie sold them by the pie or by the piece.

"It's been pretty good so far."

We caught up the line of buyers together. We each took a side of the booth and sold them until we were down to only a few of them left.

"Ladies."

"Hi, Sheriff Hood." I greeted him and Carrie only smiled.

Not far behind him was his two sidekicks; Brock and Kurt. They weren't in uniform like Hood was. Another deputy I hadn't met before came up. Hood told him to keep his eyes open as though he was expecting trouble to arise.

The rest of them left except for the sheriff. He and Carrie were having a private conversation. They kept it low and I stepped out of the booth to give them some privacy.

"Bye, Lacy." The sheriff gave me a smile on his way out.

"Bye...hey is Kurt working tonight?"

"No. Why?"

"Lacy has got a thing for Bunker." I almost chocked on my drink when Carrie said it to the sheriff.

"No, I don't."

"Right." Hood slightly laughed. Then I noticed he grabbed Carrie's hand for a slight squeeze before he walked away from the booth. There was something there between them. I just wasn't sure what it was exactly.

"So, what's up with you and the sheriff?"

Carrie completely ignored me and I didn't push the issue with her. We went back to selling pies until we only had a couple of them left. She dropped them off to Sugar and we went waking around to look at the festivities.

The band was playing when we found an empty bench to sit down on. We listened to a couple of songs before the others were forming a group around us to listen as well.

"You should ask Lacy to dance." Sheriff Hood smiled at me when he said it to Bunker. Although I noticed Bunker hadn't budged from the spot he was standing in or even looked in my direction for that matter. "That's an order Bunker." This time Hood was more forceful with it. Before he excused himself from the group to do a walk through of the fair grounds.

Bunker still didn't look directly at me either. "Ma'am, would you like to dance?" He had a sweet side to him, shy as well. He was almost boy like when he asked.

"I'd love to."

This shouldn't have been a big deal. "Is something wrong?" It felt awkward standing in the middle of the dance floor just looking at each other.

"I don't know how to dance."

"Then why did you ask me to?"

"My commanding officer told me to. Besides, I really didn't think you would say yes."

Innocent wasn't the correct word to describe his actions. It was endearing though. I Joined our hands together and put his other hand on the small of my back. "There is no time like the present to learn."

At first, he was very stiff and kept a lot of distance between our bodies. It made me smile. For someone of his size and the path he had taken at one time in his life. He was very gentle. The song was over before we began to find a grove of our movements together.

"Do you want to walk around for a while?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"Are you always this polite?"

"Only when I'm nervous."

"Do I make you nervous?"

"Very."

We didn't talk at all. If I said something to him he replied with something short. Although, we were attracting a lot of attention. People literally moved out of the direction we were walking to get out of our way. It wasn't good attention either when we came up upon them, they didn't budge. I saw their ink, I didn't like where this was going.

"Miss, you should be more particular about the company you keep."

Bunker pushed me behind him. I had a feeling this was about to be a very bad situation. "What do you want, Calvin?"

"Just keeping tabs on my traitorous brother. It's only a matter of time until you come back to the brotherhood or I end this."

They were nose to nose. It was obvious neither side was going to back down. "Is there a problem here?" Sheriff Hood broke up the not so wanted reunion between the two of them.

"No problem at all, sheriff. I just wanted to say hello to my brother." The group of them were walking away when Calvin got my attention. "Miss." I turned my head to acknowledge he was addressing me. "I'll be seeing you real soon."

"The fuck you will." Bunker went to follow them. That aggressive animal fight instinct was coming out of him. It was always there, putting you out on the edge of the cliff. Just begging you to take the leap.

Sheriff Hood stopped Bunker from doing something he probably shouldn't. "Take a look around you. There are a lot of people watching, now is not the time." A group of people had gathered off to the side to watch the action that was taking place.

It wasn't a code that was hard to break for me. Bunker was an officer of the law. Already not well liked in this town. It would have been witnessed violence by many. The sheriff was telling him to pick the time of the fight with his brother. The time seemed to be near, from what I had seen.

It also hadn't escaped me what Calvin had said without so many words. They would be back and come with a vengeance at me. What they didn't know was, I was not a helpless female who was afraid to fight. I had been fighting for my life and freedom for months now. They were nothing compared to the one I was running from.

"Why don't you make sure Lacy gets home okay." Bunker still didn't take his eyes off Calvin. "That's an order." He only nodded at the sheriff as we went towards the parking lot.

The old truck he opened the door to was always parked down the street from where I lived. I saw it every morning when I got ready to leave. "I guess I don't need to give you directions to where I live."

"I live down the street from you." Were the only words spoken by him until we were halfway home. "Why aren't you afraid of me?"

"What?" His question caught me by surprise. My mind was going in fifty different directions at the same time.

"Everyone shuns me and is afraid. Why aren't you?"

"Maybe I see a different person than they do. You can't always judge a person by their tattoos or their past." This was a statement of shame because of who I was. An omission of how I had been treated in the past because of it. A revelation of who I wanted to become. Along with giving him the benefit of a doubt he was in the same position.

Kurt kept his eyes forward on the road. His opinion to himself on what I had said. Once he pulled up to the curb at my house, we said goodbye and nothing more than that when I got out.

Tonight, I felt exhaustion take over when I set down on the couch. I decided to skip dinner and went straight to bed. Just in case I put my gun under the pillow next to me. Life had gotten complicated. Some of it I had done to myself. The rest, was on the decision to make this place a home.

Just when I was about out I heard what sounded like a garbage can knocked over. With my safety net in hand, I pulled the curtain back to have a look. It was a puppy roaming around the yard. He probably belonged to someone and he got out.

After I laid back down it didn't take long to pass out. It wasn't until I heard the alarm clock go off I moved from the spot I went to sleep in. "Oh shit, I'm late to meet Carrie."

Quickly I got dressed. Put my hair up and found the items I need to take with me. I packed those in a duffle bag. Then grabbed a sweatshirt because the mornings were on the cool side here.

"Shit." I dropped everything I had in my hands when I stepped out the front door. Bunker startled me as he was leaned over on the front porch swing on a pillow. His gun was laying close to him. "Did you sleep here last night?"

"I wanted to make sure you were safe. I need to go to work." He stretched as he went down the street to his house and that was the end of our conversation.

**BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE**

Over the next week Kurt and I began to hang out. It was just as friends. We worked on my deck. Clean out his garage so he could park inside of it. It was hard on him when he came upon a box from his past. All the Aryan Nation belongings he kept. He kept them as a reminder of who he was and didn't want to be anymore.

In a large steel barrel, he started a fire. That fire was still a rage inside him. With each piece he burned, he was letting go of another skeleton in his closet from the past. One more bad thing he had done while trying to heal from it.

"I am going to start dinner. You can over if you want." I was intruding on him. In a trance as an acting robot. He would put something else in the barrel without any emotion shown.

"I don't think I'd be very good company."

"You still have to eat. If I don't see you in an hour, I'll bring you a plate."

It was out for him. If he didn't want to come to my house, I wouldn't push it. But, I would still make sure he got some dinner.

The easiest thing to make was spaghetti and it made good leftovers. I started the pan of water on the stove while I cooked the hamburger. I searched through the frig to find enough vegetables to start a salad.

After I checked my cell phone for the time, I shook my head. He was going to make me come to him. I threw the garlic bread in the oven. Got down a plastic container to put some spaghetti in it for him once it was done.

With a knock on the door I stopped making salad to answer it. "Hey."

That was the only word spoken as we ate our dinner. I picked up the dishes from the table to clean up the kitchen when we were through. Scraped the food in the trash and began rinsing them before I stuck them in the dish washer. Kurt helped clear the table off too. Again, no verbal communication between us.

He followed me to the living room. I flipped on a movie and waited to see if he stayed or went. I felt his hand cover mine after he set down on the couch beside me. It was the most physical contact he attempted. We watched the movie in a comfortable silence.

When it was over, Kurt was asleep with his hand still on mine. I slipped it slowly out from under his. Got a blanket to cover him up with. I figured it was a short walk home for him when he woke up. With the lights off, I laid in bed and could hear him breath in and out loudly. It must have soothed me to sleep knowing he was close by and I didn't have to be in fear of anything or anyone with him here.

Maybe, I got to comfortable. Because until I heard someone knock at the door, I hadn't moved a muscle. I peeked out the window to see Carrie on the front porch.

"Are you ready to..." She stopped in mid sentence when she seen him. "Bunker."

"Mrs. Hopewell." Kurt folded up the blanket and placed it on the couch. "I need to get to work."

Carrie was smiling away after Bunker left. "So, you and Bunker, huh?"

"It's not what you think." I headed to the bedroom to get dressed. "I'll be ready in a minute."

But was I ready for what she had in store for me? She was playing a game of cat and mouse with Proctor. We just watched him today. Got his routine down. The places he visited and the people he talked to.

Carrie followed him around with caution. After I seen some of the places he went, I knew why. This wasn't a simple plant the bug in the computer and it was over. Whatever she was doing, was something huge. "Have I earned the right to ask why you want me to do all these things to Kia?"

"No, you haven't yet." At least she was honest about it. The time would come if we couldn't trust each other, the relationship would no longer work out. But, for now, we had an understanding and a deal.

However, the truth didn't always set you free. It could be downright cruel at times. Like when we saw Brock and Kurt at the diner.

"What did you and Mrs. Hopewell do today?"

"Just girl stuff."

"I have to go back on duty. I'll see you later."

"I'm busy tonight. Can I get a raincheck for tomorrow night?" Kurt only nodded at me. I felt horrible for lying to him. Almost to the point of making a confession. "Kurt." Just the seconds it took for him to turn around to face made me think twice about it. "Have a good afternoon."

"Come on, we need to find you something to wear." Carrie was going to help me with my ensemble for evening.

We went to every store and nothing was up to par for the occasion. Until we found a red dress. It screamed a lot of things about the woman wearing it. The price tag about gave me a heart attack though. "It's three hundred dollars."

"I'll buy it for you." Carrie made a generous offer. This was her party after all, so, I let her pay for it. Not just that; the shoes, earrings and new makeup too.

With a fancy new dress came a fancy hairdo. She spent almost an hour curling, pinning up my hair. The image in the mirror didn't even look like me anymore. Also, the smoky eyes and blood red lip stick wasn't something I would ever choose for myself.

"You look great. Try to find it. I would look in his office, study or even in his bedroom for it. I won't be far away. I'll hear everything you say. If it gets too rough, I will get you out." Those were Carrie's comforting words before she existed the car. I let her out just before I turn on Kai's long driveway.

It was a mansion from the outside looking in. But I bet, it was more of prison cell when you were on the inside of Kai's circle. The lawn was plush when I got out of the car. My red heels clicked along the stone walkway up to the front door to ring the bell.

"You look exquisite, Lacy." Kai met me with his sleeves rolled up and potato peeler in his hand. "Please, come in."

"Thank you."

His home was all about the finer things in life. From antics, expensive relics and only the best that money could buy. The living room alone was about the size of my old house.

"Make yourself comfortable. Would you like a glass of wine?"

"Yes, please."

Kai went to the kitchen while I had a look around. The thing that stood out to me, was no family photos anywhere to be seen. I didn't have any displayed in my home either for a reason. I'm sure he had his reasons as well.

"Here my dear."

"Thank you."

"Dinner will be done shortly." Kai picked up a remote from the craved wood coffee table. With a click of the button, classical music filled the room.

"May I use your powder room, please?"

"Of course. At the top of the stairs to the right."

This was the night I wanted to have dinner with Kai. Rebeca was away on business. It left me and him alone. It was the only way for me to accomplish the goal. His study door was open. I glanced back before I entered to make sure he was not around.

Kai's desk was neat and everything was organized. My cell captured a few photos of his schedule for the next upcoming days. I searched to locate what I came for but never found it. Footsteps were moving up the marble stairs. I shoved the phone in my purse.

He scared me when I came out the door. "I was looking for the powder room and got lost in this big house." He only turned his head back and forth, never spoke a word to me. Then slowly got out of my way so I could move.

You had to remain calm, always, to get away with this kind of thing. You gave an innocent look when caught or suspected. My smile at him reflected off his glass. Although, it didn't seem to fool him because he was still there when I came out.

"I see you met my associate, Mr. Burton." Kai guided me out to the area by the pool for a candle lit dinner. "I assure you he means you no harm."

Kai pulled out my chair to sit down. He might be a bad man but he had the manners of a pure gentlemen. It was the most confusing part about him.

He poured me a glass of wine as Mr. Burton placed a bowl of soup in front of us. "I cooked it all myself."

"It looks and smells wonderful."

But it wasn't going to stay wonderful for long. At first, I thought it was Carrie creating a diversion to get me out. There was just too many of them for it to be a single person attack.

It came as no surprise how well Kai and Mr. Burton could fight and shoot. The attackers were letting out screams of war as the Indians fought back.

In the end, the two of them killed all five of them. It was a complete blood bath. Dead bodies on the ground still bleeding out, other bodies floating in the pool of red water.

"Lacy." Kai kept saying my name. It was just like where I came from here. It wasn't tonight that made me panic. It was I already knew where all this would lead to. The path of destruction that would come. "Are you okay, dear?"

"Yes." I picked up the glass from the table and drank it all. Then poured me another. Hell, I'd earned it.

Still in the same spot as the flashing red and blue lights drove up the driveway. Bunker got out of one of the many squad cars, it was going to be a harder night than I anticipated.

"What happened?" Sheriff Hood was already in progress of questioning Kai.

"Why don't you ask them?" Kai gave a flipped answer because dead men tell no tales.

Hood didn't care, he kept at Kai. But, he would get no straight answers. Which, I believe he already knew that. One of the deputies interrupted their very intense conversation. "There are three Red Bones dead down by the road."

"Thanks, Billy. Who killed them?"

"I have no idea, Sheriff. Isn't that your job to find out?"

Next, came my turn. "Can you tell me what happened?" I shook my head no. "What are you doing here?"

The sheriff's question captured Bunker's attention as well. His head shot in our direction. They both waited for my answer. "I was having dinner with Kai." Kurt's response was to turn his head away and paid no more attention to us.

"She has nothing to do with it." Kai came to my defense. He started talking or more so shouting at Hood again.

"Bunker, follow Lacy home."

"I can't, Sir. I have to file paperwork before my shift ends."

"I don't need anyone to follow me home. I'm fine."

Needless to say. It impacted my relationship with Kurt. He kept his distance from me. When I would wave, he would pretend he didn't even see me. It went on like this for a few days.

Until, I was sitting on the front porch when he came home from work. I wasn't expecting to see him. He made his way to where I was. "Will you go out with me?"

"I'd love to."

"Tomorrow night. Six o'clock."

He wasn't much for romance. But it took a lot for him to even ask me. His body was so tense when he did. His facial expressions were braced for a no answer.

"Guess what? Bunker asked me out." I couldn't wait to call Carrie and tell her.

We spent the afternoon together on Friday, I really appreciated her enthusiasm. Since I didn't know where we were going, I went casual. A simple black tank top dress and black sandals.

Then the nervous reality set in. I hadn't been on a real date since I was a teenager. "Hey, just have fun tonight." Carrie must have sensed it.

"I think Kurt is just misunderstood by people."

"Aren't we all." Carrie was fighting against her own ghost. We set quietly to drink our ice tea. With a knock on my door, she excused herself. "Just have fun. Call me tomorrow."

"Mrs. Hopewell." Kurt acknowledged her as she went down the stairs.

We walked to his truck without a word spoken and avoided being too close to the other. He opened the door for me and it made me smile. I saw him let out a long breath when he crossed in front of the truck to get in. He was just as nervous.

"I thought we'd have dinner out of Banshee."

"Sounds great."

It might have been even a relief to have no one around we personally knew. The restaurant was filled with people. But you could be surrounded by hundreds and still be alone. I had been for a while now.

We placed our order. I tried to break the silence and talked about nothing in general. "I don't go out much in public." Kurt glanced over his shoulder. They stopped staring at us when he made eye contact with them. "For obvious reasons."

By the end of the meal we were having a real conversation. He was asking me things too. I had to be careful with what I said. But I tried to be as honest as possible. I think he did as well.

"Calvin is my fault. I took him to his first rally. I drove him to join the brotherhood. I don't know how to get him out. Or if I can now."

They didn't have a much of a home life when they were children. Violence was something they were already accustom to with an abusive father. The brotherhood offered them asylum and the chance to feel safe with a real family. Kurt tried to protect his little brother from their father. But, threw his brother in a worse situation unintentionally.

As we walked around I listened to a man with inner turmoil who struggled every day to get past it. Find a better way to live while never forgetting where you once were.

There were so many things I learned tonight about Kurt. We talked all the way home. The nervous feeling, I had all but went away. This was the most normalcy I'd had in years and felt I was finally on the right path to recovery.

"Do you want to come in?"

Twisted off the top of a couple beer bottles. Handed him one and took a swig from mine. He didn't drink it, he set it down on the kitchen table. Took mine from me and did the same with it.

A warm rush came over me when I felt Kurt's hand on my face. His thumb ran along my cheek bone before he pulled me to him. Almost on my tip toes to reach my arms around his neck. Now, I waited to see if he reached out to me in the same way back. Neither one of us had our breathing under control at this point nor really cared. Our blood flowed quicker when the excited adrenaline flow came. I could feel his hard excitement pressed against me. Mine came from his touch.

We moved inches at a time across the floor, just touching each other. The light breeze of the ceiling fan was the only thing that kept me cool from the feel of the warmth coming from being so close to him. For it to do nothing for me when his hands moved around on my back and left a burning trail behind.

At first, we took our time to explore each other's mouths like the dance we once shared. One rhythmic movement at a time until we moved them together as one. Gentle to start with, lustful as we went and longing came full force. When my back was against the wall. I felt him lift my legs up to wrap around him.

Kurt broke our kiss as he rested his forehead against mine. He hadn't let go of me yet and I was still enjoying the feel of his body pressed to mine. "I should go."

"Maybe you should stay."

"I can't." My feet instantly touched the floor when his grip loosened from my body. There was the distance he put between us. Not just physically but emotionally as well. I understood doubting yourself and yourself worth in what we called life. The internal struggle with the demons of your past and could you make a new start of a better path to take.

"I'll walk you out." I hooked my arm with his as we slowly went towards the sidewalk. This was the most pleasant evening I had in such a long time. With the moonlight shinning on our faces and the light breeze of the night air that hit my sweaty skin gave a shiver. I couldn't resist one more goodnight kiss. I got on my tip toes to placed one on his cheek. I saw the smile cross his face. It was genuine and the first one I had seen from him since I met him.

But, it ended as quickly as it came. Although everything happened so quickly, it seemed like slow motion. Kurt shoved me to the ground. "Get down."

The great night we shared between us turned into a blaze of gun fire. The bullets were whizzing by. Ringing out as they kept firing at us. When the tires screeched as the sped off down the street. That part was finally over with. But the consequences of their actions were still to be dealt with.

Kurt's slumped over body on top of me, was weight I had a hard time trying to get out from underneath of. The weight of life had been holding me down for years. It had almost taken me down to the point of no return or no recovery from it.

"Kurt." I kept saying his name when I got him rolled over. The glisten color of red came through his shirt. The more I tried to stop the bleeding with pressure of my hands over the wounds. The more blood gushed from another bullet hole on his body. He tried to save me from danger. In return, he was on the receiving end of all of it.

"Call 911." I screamed it to the neighbor on the porch who came out to see what happened.

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	3. New Insight

**Chapter 3**

The clock moved so slowly as I stared at it on the wall. Each second as it ticked by was another plot of revenge in motion. It was a bitter sweet action. It only made you feel good while you were doing it. But in the end, it only brought on more deaths. Those deaths would be mourned by another and the vicious cycle continued on.

When violence was a way of life for you, it was hard to not react to it. Counter it with even more chaos, send a bigger message back to them. Retaliation was in your blood. That blood fed the beast within. When you let the beast out of the cage to play, you struggled to get it back under control again. This was the crossroad I stood at today.

"Any information you can give me, will help." Sheriff Hood was beside me. I heard the words but couldn't bring myself respond to him. "I know you must be in shock, Lacy. I need your help to find out who done this to Bunker."

"It all happened so fast."

"Was the brotherhood involved?" Hood probably already knew the answer to the question before he asked me. He just wanted conformation. Which, he wouldn't get for me.

"I'm not sure. It was dark."

Hood was relentless with his questions. I understood his need for justice. Bunker was one of them. However, the sheriff wouldn't deliver the kind of justice I was used to. The only kind I knew how to execute.

A nurse appeared to delivery the information of his condition, it was an additional blow to us. Kurt was alive, barely. Not able to take in a breath on his own. They stabilized him for the moment. Another surgery would be necessary in the morning to repair the damage they had done to him. If he made it that far and lived through the night.

We would have to wait until dawn to know his outcome, it would be in a few hours. Before we were certain if Kurt Bunker would live to sunrise. We spent most of the night waiting to see the what was going to happened to him. Every single one of us meandered around helplessly. There was nothing else to do in a hospital.

Carrie stayed close by to where ever I went. She didn't ask me anything, I didn't offer it either. I know she was trying to be a friend. But part of me, knew in this kind of life, you had no friends you could count on.

They wouldn't allow us to see Kurt in his condition and I had nothing left to stay here for. I would come back later to be here for his surgery. When I excused myself, he blocked the way with his muscular arm in the hall. "It is a bad idea to keep info from me or take this on yourself."

"I've always been full of bad ideas Sheriff."

He scanned my face with almost a scowl on his. Then dropped his arm so I could leave. I kept watching because I figured they would follow behind me. None of them did though.

Since I got here in the back of an ambulance, I took a cab home. I would need a car for what I was about to do. They wouldn't be that hard to find. I used to be very good at locating the target before they were taken out. Then, they were no longer a problem in my world. The ones who shot Kurt, wouldn't be either after I was done. The brotherhood would soon find out they were no match for a pissed off outlaw biker queen.

So many times I witnessed the brutality and retaliation process. He always took it to another level. Each time, he had to find a bigger way to feel the needed rush. Until the boy I fell in love with lived for evil and nothing else. My husband became a man who was a stranger to me. Only this time, I would follow his lead. The brutal outlaw code of sending them straight to hell.

As I changed my clothes, I caught a gimps in the mirror of the dried blood down the side of my neck. Kurt's blood was spilled for nothing. I scrubbed it until my skin was just as red in color from irritation of the rag. Some sins, couldn't be simply washed away or forgotten.

Dressed in all black, I tied my hair up. Pulled the hoodie around my face. Then I searched for it. I opened the box of evil destruction. The last time I used what was in it was to avenge my son's death. Those bastards felt hell on earth before we sent them there without any remorse. "Yeah." I shoved it in the duffel bag. Along with everything else I needed.

When I came up on the old truck in town. I knew they would take me where I needed to go. They strutted around as though they really believed they got away with what they had done. But, not this time. At least not if I had anything to say about it.

For over an hour I watched them harass the town people. These low lives had nothing else to do so early in the morning. They lived off the rush of power they held over someone else. Or so they thought.

They only had power over you, if you allowed it. Just like him, he didn't take control over me. I gave it to him freely. In the process, I lost myself. After I became a shell of a person who no longer existed in my own eyes or his. It was time to leave and find a new beginning somewhere else.

"Then I landed in this fucking town." Would this send me back in progress? Would this take a toll on the person I strive to become? Would I have to admit I couldn't live and function in society as a normal person?

Even deep in thought. I saw them coming. As soon as the car door opened up, my gun was was in her face. "A simple hello would have done." Carrie pushed it away. I should have been surprised she found me but I wasn't.

"You should go. You don't want to be a part of what I'm doing."

"You need to think this through. There is too many of them right now. Fight smarter. I know they are the ones who hurt Bunker." If she thought I was at a good place of rationality. She was sadly mistaken and wasting her breath.

"I'm going to do this. You should go."

"I didn't say not to do it. Be smarter about it. Hate makes you hastily do things. When you are patient and wait until the precise moment, the satisfaction will be greater. Kurt is already in surgery. I thought maybe you would want to be there when he got out."

Instead of killing all those fuckers like I wanted to right at this moment. I let Carrie convince me now wasn't the time. Kurt's well being came first. Then we would hunt them down and make them feel his pain.

**BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE**

Kurt's large body frame laid motionless in the tiny hospital bed. The lights from all the machines to keep him alive lit up the dark room. His colorful tatts still peeked through the pure white gown against his skin. If those were visible, nothing about you was considered pure.

I'd been here before not that long ago. You sat and waited unsure of what tomorrow would bring. If they would be with you then or not.

No mother should ever watch their baby slip away from them, I watched my baby die. He made it three days after they tried to slaughter everyone in sight. I stayed by his bedside until he took his last breath of life in. They had to force me to let go of him, they had to pry his lifeless little body out of my arms. But, I still haven't let him go and probably never would be able to. Part of me died when he did. I hadn't really lived since that day if I were completely honest with myself. As sad and hurt as I was of thought of my baby, no tears came this time. I wasn't sure if it meant I began to heal from it or if I had nothing left inside to give anymore.

"How's Bunker? Has he woke up yet?" The sheriff came in several times during the day to check on Kurt. They posted an officer at the door to keep him safe. As long as he continued to live here, he would never be safe or have any peace.

"No."

The reality was, Kurt may never wake up again. He was in a comatose state. The doctors performed eight hours of surgery to remove the lodged bullet in his head. They thought most wouldn't have survived the shot to begin with. Let alone the damage to the brain from the surgery. But, I thought he had a purpose on this earth still. Or I truly hoped it to be the case.

There were many realities and revelations that smacked me in the face while I set for hours in Kurt's room with him. I wasn't blinded by the fact he was once upon a time a bad man. He had done horrible things to others to earn all those tattoos within the brotherhood. His badges of honor turned to wounds of disgrace just like mine had. Yet, when he tried to repent his sins and become a better person. This happened to him for his efforts. By the same people he tried to distant his life from.

Hood made small talk about nothing with me. I wasn't sure if he wanted to talk about everything except for the elephant in the room or he wanted to offer me a distraction. Yet, I went to what was on my mind.

"Do you think we are ever truly forgiven for our sin? We can just wipe the slate clean and start over?"

Hood finally uncrossed his arms. Leaned against the window and got one serious look on his face. "Damn, I hope so." With the way he acted he had a few demons of his own. "I'll give you a ride home." He recovered quickly from it. As though, he was as guarded as the rest of us were.

"I'm going to stay here."

Hood gave me a nod on his way out. He instructed the officer if I needed anything to make sure it happened. I was grateful he made the attempt to include me. Only, I couldn't ever belong to this kind of circle. They would eventually find out who I really was.

The blanket thrown over me in the chair offered some warmth. It didn't offer much comfort to the situation. I couldn't get to sleep. I heard the door every time it opened up when the nurse came in. Each time the officer poked his head in to do a check.

Finally, I got up. A peaceful rest wasn't in the cards for me tonight. "Do you want a cup of coffee?" The officer took me up on the offer. It was a long boring night for him. Just standing there with nothing to do.

Nothing actually went well tonight or like it was suppose to. The coffee machine ate my dollar bill and never gave me a damn cup of it in return. So, I kicked the hell out of it. When I seen the cup drop down and fill with liquid. "Well, it's about damn time."

With two steaming cups of java in hand, I went back. I got halfway down the hall and about had a panic attack. The officer had disappeared from his post. The cups went in the trash while I ran to get there. As the door opened the officer's feet were laying on the floor, it was all I saw of him.

My eyes went to Kurt. A man stood over his bed with a syringe in hand. Although, he was dressed as a doctor, the way he came at me. Told a much different story. There was only the chair in my reach. I struck him with it, when it didn't stop him. I had to come up with another plan.

As I dived to get the officer's gun, he grabbed my ankle. With my free foot, I stomped it in his face until he let go. I fumbled to get the snap on the holster undone. When I did, it was a natural reaction, to survive. I shot him.

What scared me the most, I felt no emotions like I should afterwards. Almost nothing on the inside, no remorse or regret for the life I took. When you reached this point, you were at the point of no return. I scooted my butt on the carpet until I was against the wall, my back was against it on life as well.

They all came running in to see what was going on. The real doctor checked the guy I shot, he wasn't breathing anymore. Then he went to the officer, he was gone already too. When I came to my sense enough, I got up to see what they were doing with Kurt. If I had been seconds longer to get coffee, it would have been to late for him. If I had never left and fell asleep, it may have been to late for me along with him.

They were checking Kurt over to make sure the guy had done nothing to him. While I passed the dead asshole on the floor, it was obvious who sent him to do their dirty work. Your ink always gave you away as to which side you played on. The swastikas were all over him when I pulled up his sleeves on the doctor's coat.

To catch myself, I grabbed on to the elevator door. I felt woozy and light headed. When it stopped on the ground floor. I ran outside, bent over in the grass and waited. With my eyes closed I took in several deep breaths to get past it.

"Lacy."

"Yeah." It was a faint sound I made. It was the best I could make under the circumstances.

"It's okay." Carrie hugged me tightly while I cried. "Kurt is alright."

Once I caught my breath and could talk. "I'm not crying about tonight. Those bastards killed my little boy."

"What?"

With a smoke lit up in my hand. I took the deepest inhale I could of it before I began to tell her the story. "My old man's crew had a beef going with the brotherhood. A different chapter than here. But they still are all the same. I dropped my son off and went to work one morning. The brotherhood blew up my old man's clubhouse. My little boy was there. I..."

"Lacy, where are you going?"

"To do what I should have already done."

This wasn't just about Kurt anymore. They wouldn't stop coming at me now either. It had to be stopped or someone else would feel the consequences of it too. When I reached my car, I got the bag out of the trunk and I was ready to do my thing.

"Do you have a plan?" Carrie was in the passenger seat and ready to go.

"Yeah, don't get killed." I lit up another smoke and it was time to put an end to this shit.

"Well, that's a start." She took out her cell. "I need your help. Find out where the shipment is." When she hung up. "The brotherhood makes their money..."

"With drugs or pussy. Sometimes both. Different town, still the same shit." Carrie was amazed I knew the information already. She might be really amazed at all the shit I knew about other subjects as well.

"Amen to that." Even Carrie had smoke on the way to meet up with whoever she called.

Of course, I should have been surprised when we pulled up next to Job out in the middle of nowhere. But again, nothing they did was any longer a surprise to me.

"We got about an hour before the truck goes through." Job leaned his body against my car to talk to Carrie. "You know, drug shipment." If he thought it was necessary to break it down for me, it wasn't.

"Then I better get busy." After I got the wire out of the bag and the detonator. Job squatted down on the ground beside me.

"Top of the line. How did you get it?"

"I don't ask you about your business. Don't ask me about mine." I continued to work as I talked to him. Time was of the essences.

"Oh no girlfriend, this is not how shit works. This shit came from the Russians. I don't want any part of those mother fuckers showing up in Banshee looking for my ass. So, how the fuck did you get it?"

"My old man done business with them and that's all you need to know." The words I spat out were as crass as the truth was.

"Job." Carrie motioned for him to join her. Where she was on lookout for cars to pass by.

After he left I could concentrate on the task at hand. It required my full attention to make sure I didn't blow us up in the process and it went off at the precise moment it was intended for.

"Ten more minutes."

My hand went in the air to acknowledge Carrie. Then I wiped my forehead, the sweat dripped off me. With the final few adjustments made, I checked my phone. "Four minutes to spare. Not to shabby."

They parked down the road while I waited at the edge of the trees out of sight. Once Carrie called my phone, it was show time. "They are only about a mile away. It is the same guy in the green truck when Kurt got shot. Another guy is in the passenger seat. I don't recognize him as one of the others you pointed out to me."

My thumb struggled against me to wait, be patient. As the truck approached, I stepped out so they could see me. When it hit the mark, I let my thumb do the talking for me. My face was the last thing he seen before the truck exploded. "Outlaw justice, bitch."

With the force of explosion and the drug shipment inside. It not only shook the ground but it threw my body a distance back. As I got up from the ground, I almost swore I saw my baby's face floating away in the sky.

"Are you alright?" Carrie and Job were trying to help me walk.

"I'm fine."

"We need to get the fuck out of here. Now." Job gathered up any trace of evidence. He was already at his car. "The cops are on their way. This shit can be seen for miles."

"This is one shipment Proctor won't get." Had my ears deceived me on what Carrie just stated? Which, they were actually ringing from the blast.

"Proctor's shipment. You done this shit to hurt Kia? You didn't do it for Kurt."

"I did it to help you and Kurt."

Carrie just thought she could walk away from me on this conversation until I was in her face. "Is this about money with Kia?"

"I don't give a shit about his money, it's personal with Proctor."

"So, you just used me to hurt him, Carrie. You could have told me the truth."

Job was in the middle of us now. Both arms extended out to separate us. "I don't give a fuck if you ladies beat the holy shit out of each other later. But we are getting the fuck out of here now. If you two get caught, so do I."

Carrie rode with me when we left. It was a good thing we had actually. We passed the fire department and cop cars a few miles down the road. They had their sirens blaring and were on their way to the blast.

"You're right. I should have told you. I guess I've gotten used to never explaining anything to anyone." I fully understood where she came from with it. I had done the same myself recently. She wanted to be dropped off at the bar. So, it was where I took her. "Come inside, I'll buy you a drink."

"Rough day?" It was Sugar's greeting to us. He set down two shot glasses in front of us on the bar. Filled them up with whisky and handed me a dish towel full of ice. "It will help with the swelling."

Of course, I didn't even ask why I needed the ice. I felt the burn on the side of my face. Which was were I landed hard on the ground from the blast. Just when it started to feel good on my skin, the sheriff arrived.

"What happened to your face?"

"I fell down."

Hood took the bar stool beside me. He wasn't going away anytime soon. "I need a statement from you on what happened at the hospital with Bunker."

"Some guy tried to kill Kurt and I shot him. That's my statement."

He was coy with me. "It was a clean kill, one shot. Girls usually don't like guns or know how to use them." I could tell he was making a point but I wouldn't budge.

"If you don't have anymore questions for me, Sheriff. I am going home to shower then go see Kurt."

"You can go. At least for now." It was noted by me, the for now part. But hell, if he wanted me, he'd know where to find me.

"Wait up." Carrie decided to leave as well. "I am really sorry about today. Once a gangster, always a gangster, I guess. I'm all in no matter what we have to do to avenge Bunker."

"You're forgiven. Once an outlaw bitch, always a mean outlaw bitch. I'm all in no matter what we have to do to avenge Kurt and the beef you got with Kia."

We both agreed if this relationship was going to work between us we needed to have some honesty. For the next few hours we drank, told a few of our secrets and had some laughs. Along with a lot of emotional moments.

**BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE~BANSHEE**

There was something in my hair, I felt it. While my head rested on the side of Kurt's bed. His fingers got wrapped up in it to get my attention.

Quickly I went to get the nurse. Then called the others to let them know he was finally awake. After the doctor was in his room for a few minutes. The nurse pushed his bed out in the hallway. The police officer was going to accompany them.

"Where are you taking him?"

"For test the doctor ordered. It will take a couple of hours." It was another wait game. They wanted to find out if the bullet had done damage to Kurt's brain and the extent of it.

Brock and Hood were the first to arrive. It was a very silent wait. I tried to stay away from them and they never approached me either.

When they brought Kurt back up to his room. I waited for a while before I tried to go back in so they could get him settled in his bed. I was happy they thought the damage was minimal if he suffered any at all.

Just as I went to go through the door, the nurse stopped me. "Mr. Bunker needs his rest." But, I noticed she asked Hood and Brock to come on in. At first, I thought is was because they were the police.

So, I waited for the nurse to come back to the door again. When she stepped foot outside, I asked. "Excuse me, when do you think I can see him?"

"Mr. Bunker said he doesn't want to see you. I'm sorry." She left me just standing in the hall without an explanation as to why.

For a week straight. I went to the hospital daily and got turned away with a different excuse each time I asked to see him. Until I seen Hood and Brock go in his room. I followed behind them inside.

Kurt was setting up in his bed and no longer looked like the same week man he was a couple of weeks ago. He had the same type of bandage wrapped around his head still. Along with several that covered his other wounds.

"You look better." I waited for him to say something, anything at this point. "Why haven't you wanted to see me?"

"You can't come around me anymore."

"We can just be friend and be there for each oth..." Kurt would not allow me to even finish my sentence before he cut me off.

"Do not come around me anymore. I don't care about you and I never will." It was the same man Kurt once upon a time was when he spoke. On the cold side with empty eyes of what humanity he had regained. The stone expression on his face told me his mind was made up.

"That's bullshit and rude. Lacy has been here every day with you. She saved your life. You owe her a little respect." Kurt turned his head away from his cop partner. Stared at the wall as he heard nothing come out of Brock's mouth.

Since there wasn't anything else to discuss. I gathered up my things to leave. "They will come for you, Kurt. Watch your back."

"I'm not afraid."

"You should be. Take care of yourself." With a final half heartened smile to Kurt. I left as he requested.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed reading me!**


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